Tiyanak

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Tiyanak

impakto From Bulacan, Laguna, Tagalog

Tagalog storytellers say the tiyanak takes the shape of a baby and cries in the forest. A traveler who picks it up sees it change into its true form and attack. Some tellings add that it leads people astray.

Folklore is retold; versions differ.

Sources: Wikipedia: Tiyanak (CC BY-SA 4.0) · Wikidata (CC0)

The story

The tiyanak is a creature that people say looks like a baby. Tellers say it cries in the forest or along a path, and a traveler picks it up out of pity. It then turns into its real shape and attacks. Looks differ by place. Some say it has claws and fangs. Others say it is a wrinkled old man with one short leg. In Pampanga it is a small, brown being that floats. In Batangas, a soft cry means it is near, and a loud cry means it is far away.

Origin tales vary too. The Mandaya people of Mindanao say it is the spirit of a child whose mother died before the birth. In Spanish times, many came to link it with infants who died before baptism. Newer versions say it is an aborted child that seeks revenge. In every version, the creature has no name, so it wanders.

Protections include turning clothes inside out, loud noise, a white candle and giving it a name. Films such as Tiyanak (1988) and the Shake, Rattle and Roll series keep it popular.